Hmm. Is this trilogy a continuation of the Lucas prequels?
I assume that the "enemy" forces in this trilogy are the Rebels. How do you plan to make them a credible threat, given that they are not supposed to win any victory over the Empire until Episode 4?
Definitely a unique take on the idea of the prequels though.
This thread strikes at the heart of why I, and many others want to rewrite the prequels. They have created a paradox wherein no method of watching them yields acceptable results. The OT takes a somewhat mature mind to fully appreciate, this much is generally agreed upon. Thus, watching the prequels at all during early childhood (clearly the target demographic) redefines the OT before it can be appreciated. However, the prequels are almost impossible to appreciate outside of childhood, except through nostalgia.
A catch 22, to be sure.
As for if I would let my kids watch the prequels, I wouldn't recommend them, nor would I ban them. It's just a few movies, after all. I will keep dreaming of a world where a rewritten Episode 1, 2, and 3 may be a better introduction to Star Wars than even the originals, and who knows, it may become a reality some day.
While it may be tempting to write a subtle political drama, I think you must first identify your audience. Who is likely to watch a trilogy of movies dedicated to complex political maneuverings? I doubt that children watching the movies in order would be interested, and adults watching them after seeing the originals would be perplexed at the sudden change of tone. After all, the original trilogy painted the political landscape in broad strokes.
I would make the Republic a macrocosm of Anakin's journey. The question then becomes: Does the prequel trilogy show Anakin's descent into the Dark Side? If so, then the Republic should follow. If not, then the prequels should end with Anakin as a hero and the Republic as victorious, at least for the moment. Both should reveal a tragic flaw, one seen later as the source of their inevitable defeat, and it could be a very stunning revelation in Episode 5.
Consider: The Republic is fighting the Clone Empire. Anakin is a soldier in the Republic army, and the Republic is fearful of its own survival. The mercenary planet of Corellia, with its vast fleet of ships and officers, is for sale to the highest bidder, and its leader, Grand Moff Tarkin, demands governorship over vast expanses of the Republic for his allegiance. The Republic refuses on principle, and the Clone Empire buys the services of Corellia instead. Anakin also is tempted with power, but seemingly rejects it. In Episode 4, the Empire has taken over. We are never told if it is the Clone Empire or the Republic turned Empire, and without this information we can assume that the Clone Empire has triumphed, using the clone-like stormtroopers and the services of the Corellian ships and officers. When it is revealed that the Emperor is the chancellor and Anakin is Vader, we see that Anakin stayed true to the Republic, even as it became an empire. In this way the revelation of Episode 5 becomes that much more potent, and is the hinge on which the entire saga turns.
That's the summary of my basic plot, anyway. I may do an entire thread dedicated to it, if anyone would find it interesting.
Thanks for directing me to the Star Wars Legacy site, I had no idea that such a project was underway.
Mike's position on distributing his restoration sounds like the knight from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:
"You have chosen wisely. But the Grail cannot pass beyond the Great Seal. That is the boundary and the price of immortality."
...at least as long as Lucas stands in the way.
Just an idea that's probably been discussed elsewhere:
If you had two or more 35mm prints of a movie, both in poor condition (scratches, blurring), would it not be possible to scan both of them and merge the frames using an algorithm?
I'm thinking of something like the X0 project, so it would probably be time consuming in the extreme, but would this even be theoretically possible?
Hi negative1, I'm a lurker who just had to make an account for this topic.
These tests are excellent, and there are many people who see and appreciate them without commenting.
Keep up the amazing work, and if you're going to be making your efforts available only to those expressing interest, sign me up! (Don't know how that system works)
In any case, thank you for saving Star Wars!